Unfixed and unknown, the image of an open road has long been linked with uncertainty. Leading anywhere towards anything for as long as it stretches, it’s tied to all that is boundless and uncharted. And while music’s imprint can’t be traced on a map, the miracle of the form is that it can also guide its listeners to places they’ve never been before. Honing in on those same themes, the cover art for Adventure Soundtrack features a faded photograph of an endless, wandering strip of blacktop that instantly casts a mood to match the spirit of its title. Writing and recording under the moniker Danny Black, Dan Schwartz of Good Old War imbues the tracks on his first solo release with absolute finesse, littering the grounds of Adventure Soundtrack with the same bright, full tone he seems to be able to wring out of any guitar he touches. Switching between acoustic and electric throughout the purely instrumental collection, the musician gives every arrangement its own personality, often lending a cinematic touch to songs whose titles only enhance the album’s mini motion picture feel.
On Adventure Soundtrack, measures of music aren’t separated by words, they’re separated by temperature. Careening between the crisp, cool tones of “First Light Part 1” and “First Light Part 2,” the sun drenched folk of “High Tide” and the fast moving suspense of “The Detective,” Schwartz plants a firm pulse in melodies that don’t need a vocal in order to spring to life. Acting as a one-man band, he carves out a natural pace and transition for each beginning, middle and end, filling songs with standout moments that only serve to heighten the energy and raise the stakes. It’s a quality that may be most acutely felt during the nimble “Liv And Leo,” though what really resonates is how the guitarist’s impressive attention to detail doesn’t take away the music’s liveliness. Note perfect and precise without being robotic, Schwartz gives everything from the subtle twang of “Sun Shower” to the sweet sounds of “Not To Explode,” a real sense of complexity and feeling.
Catch him on tour:
5/1 Maple Dale Country Club Dover, DE
5/2 Bushwick Public House Brooklyn, NY
5/3 Bourbon and Branch Philadelphia, PA
5/5 Mahall’s Lakewood, OH
5/7 The Sink Hole Saint Louis, MO
5/8 Kirby’s Beer Store Wichita, KS
5/9 The Boobie Trap Topeka, KS
5/11 Black Feather Whisky Salt Lake City, UT
5/13 Black Coffee Taphouse San Pedro, CA
5/24 Second Street Brewery Santa Fe, NM
5/25 The Sidewinder Austin, TX
5/30 Camp House Chattanooga, TN
5/31 Vinyl Atlanta, GA
6/1 New Brookland Tavern West Columbia, SC
6/2 Awendaw Green Awendaw, SC
Article: Caitlin Phillips
